Two overlapping events will take place downtown Warsaw for the third year in a row on Sept. 21.
One Warsaw’s Celebrating Us will be 4 to 8 p.m., while Kosciusko Kettleheads’ 13th Homebrew Fest will take place 5 to 9 p.m. on Buffalo Street between Center and Main streets. Celebrating Us will be on Buffalo Street, between Center and Main streets, and Center Street between Buffalo and Lake streets.
Homebrew Fest is an annual fundraiser for Combined Community Services and this year it’s offering a little something different.
Jason Rich, president of Kosciusko Kettleheads, said, “This year, we always have a lot of homemade beers, but this year we have more ciders and meads (wine made from honey) than we ever have. So this year’s fest will cater to a much wider range of personal tastes.”
There will around a dozen brewers with nearly 40 offerings.
Sponsors of Homebrew Fest make it possible for all of the proceeds from the event to go directly to CCS, he said. This year’s title sponsor is Lewis Salvage, with pint sponsor being Maple Leaf Farms. Other sponsors include Crossroads Bank, The Spectacle Shoppe and Blue Note Design.
Tickets are $25 in advance and can be purchased online at https://www.ticketsource.us/whats-on/in/the-100-block-of-n-buffalo-st-in-downtown-warsaw/kettleheads-homebrew-fest-2024-sponsored-by-lewis-salvage/e-kbkjkl

      

At the door, tickets are $35 cash only.
The cost includes a souvenir tasting glass.
“This is the highlight of our year,” Rich stated. “We would like to think that we make good beer, but it is terrific fun pouring them for our friends and neighbors.”
While Homebrew Fest is for those 21 years old and older, Celebrating Us is for the entire family and is free.
Travis McConnell, One Warsaw board member, said Celebrating Us has taken place since 2019.
“It’s a fall festival. It just brings people together to celebrate the community and all the diversity that we have here in Kosciusko County by enjoying the fun booths, our organizations that represent Kosciusko County, as well as food from around the world, and various stage performances and other activities. There’s also always kids activities,” McConnell explained.
The predominant food at Celebrating Us will be Mexican and Indian food, as well as some typical American.
As for live performances, a DJ will play music starting at 4 p.m. as people arrive. Ballet Folklórico will then perform Hispanic cultural dancing at about 4:30 p.m., followed by clean comedy from Corey Mann at 5 p.m. Marena Moonflower will play her music at 5:30, Deb Collier’s School of Dance will be at 6 p.m. and then Kevin Long will offer his comedy and magic at about 6:30 p.m. There will be two Family Feuds, concluding the night with a tuba ensemble from 8 to 9 p.m.
An obstacle course and a bungee run will be available for the young ones. Over a dozen organizations that serve the community will have booths set up offering information.
“There’s nothing more gratifying than doing something we love so much and being able to support a very worthy cause at the same time,” Rich said.
For more information on One Warsaw, visit their Facebook page or website at https://onewarsaw.org/.
For more information on Kosciusko Kettleheads, visit their Facebook page or website at https://kettleheads.org/.